JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Minot Police Chief Michael Frye presents information to the Minot City Council about the city’s temporary pound operation Monday, June 15. At left is council member Lisa Olson.

Two animal rescue operations submitted proposals to provide the City of Minot with pound services, and both were accepted by the Minot City Council Monday, June 15, despite the projected cost.

The council also directed staff to investigate and provide recommendations on voluntary and mandatory pet-licensing ordinances, which could help offset pound costs.

In its pound proposal, Animal Empowerment League (AEL) offered pricing options ranging from $270,240 to $363,290 annually. Hairball Haven’s proposal is largely based on usage. Preliminary estimates from the police department project a cost of about $92,265, bringing the total cost between the two to as much as $455,555. The city has $200,000 budgeted for a pound.

Hairball Haven’s proposal indicated it could impound at least 15 cats separately in its facility. AEL’s proposal stated it can provide services for dogs, reptiles, pocket pets and livestock. AEL currently does not have a facility to accommodate dogs.

The council has an option to rent a warehouse from Trinity Health for $3,400 to serve as a pound facility.

The city currently has an agreement with Ward County through Aug. 31 to use a county highway department building to house dogs. It has an agreement with AEL to care for the dogs and also for any exotic animals. A temporary agreement with Hairball Haven provides for cat services.

Police Chief Michael Frye reported the temporary pound has taken in 101 dogs in the past three months and Hairball Haven has housed 90 cats for the city. Recovery fees totaled $9,929 from March 8-June 8.

The council accepted the Trinity lease and AEL’s and Hairball’s pound proposals, which would be subject to further negotiation before contract adoption. The vote was 5-2 vote with council members Paul Pitner and Lisa Olson opposed.

Pitner had advocated for rebidding pound services and for investigating the cost of a city owned and operated pound. His motion failed 3-4, with support from Olson and Mayor Mark Jantzer.

Pitner said rejecting a contract with Souris Valley Animal Shelter last January and seeking new proposals was sold as a way to save money.

“I don’t know how a $300,000 budget increase for pound services is a cost savings,” he said.

“This is going to cost us five to six police officer positions as far as funding,” he said, citing cost information from Frye.

“We’ve got two good providers that are willing and committed to the well-being of animals, and therefore the well-being of the families of Minot and the people of Minot,” Blessum said of the proposals “We need to support that as best we can. Now, the conversations that I’ve had with the chief, I think he understands fully that we have to work on the economics, because it’s not very good.”

Council member Rob Fuller proposed a voluntary dog and cat licensing program that he said would offset a third to half of the cost of a pound.

The city has licensing but the cost is $5-$15 per pet and hasn’t been updated for years, City Attorney Stephanie Stalheim reported. Blessum presented a motion directing staff to develop pet licensing and a pound fee structure that would move the city toward solvency, which passed 7-0.

Fuller’s proposal for volunteer licensing would increase the fee for spayed/neutered dogs and cats to $15 and the fee for intact dogs and cats to $40. Using 12,000-15,000 dogs and 8,000-12,000 cats, with 80-85% spayed and neutered, his estimates showed income of $136,500-$183,750 annually with a 35% owner participation rate. A 45% participation rate could increase revenue to $175,500-$236,250 annually.

Mandatory licensing, at $15 and $40 every two years and tied to rabies vaccinations, could generate the equivalent of $146,250-$196,875 annually with 75% compliance under Fuller’s plan. With 90% participation, revenue is estimated at $175,500-$236,250 as an annual equivalent.

Another option in his proposal is to require an owner of an unlicensed pet with no microchip to pay a $500 reclaim fee at the pound in addition to other pound costs associated with the animal’s care.

Along with the fees, Fuller said, the city could reduce pound costs by improving return-to-owner rates, increasing the number of microchipped animals and unifying lost pets with owners

more quickly.